Theodore w



(No Model.)

T. W. SCHMIDT. CLOTHES DRIER.

No. 537,586. Patented Apr. 16, 18 95.

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THEODORE W. SCHMIDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLOTH ES-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537, 586, dated April 16, 1895.. Application filed July 3, 1894- SerialNo. 516,414. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THEODORE W. SCHMIDT, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-D riers, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention consists of an improved clothes drier and relates to that class which is adapted to be supported from the ceiling in removable adjustment.

The object is to provide a clothes drier which may be adjusted to several diiferent heights and which may be compactly folded and easily removed from or secured to the support upon the ceiling.

A practical'embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which'- Figure 1 is a side view of my invention, showing the clothes supporting arms in their folded position, the whole being supported from the ceiling. Fig. 2 is a view partially in section and partially in side elevation, showing the arms in their unfolded or extended position in full lines in their lowermost position and in dotted lines in their highest position and about midway between the highest and lowest position. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the upper portion of the clothes drier. Fig. 4 is atop plan View of the arm supporting hub, showing three of the arms in their extended position, the otherarms being removed. This hub is shown partially broken away to show the manner of pivoting the inner ends of the clothes supporting arms, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the raising and lowering cords, showing the manner of binding them together.

A designates a vertical hollow shaft, to the upper end of which I rigidly secure a hollow tube B and, to the lower end of the shaft A, I secure a hollow knob O.

D designates a screw bolt which is adapted to screw into the ceiling. It is provided with a lateral pin 01 which engages the tube B for the purpose of supporting the clothes drier.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the tube B is provided with a vertically elongated opening, extending from its top a short distance downwardly and then extending latorally and upwardly, as shown at b, so that when the pin 02 is seated within the opening I), the tube B is locked against rotation upon the screw D. r

The tube B has mounted therein two pulleys b, 19 over which the raising and lowering cords E, E run, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

F designates the arm supporting hub and it is preferably made in two sectionsfif'.

The arms are designated by G and are preferably provided at their ends with reduced portions g, having laterally extended lugs g, g which engage corresponding openings in the upper section fofthe hub F, so that the arms have a swinging movement between a horizontal and a vertical position. There may be a greater or less number of arms G, as is desired.

The two sections f,f of the hub F .are re movably secured together by means of a sleeve H which embraces the hollow shaft A and a nut J which screws upon the lower end of the sleeve H. The upper portion of the sleeve H is provided with two laterally extending arms 72, h to which are fastened the corresponding ends of the cords E, E. The cords E, E extend from the hubF upwardly and over the pulleys b, b and then downwardly through the hollow shaft A and are secured to a suitable handle K just below the hollow knob C.

It will be seen that when the hub with its clothes supporting arms is in its lower position, and the handle K is drawn downwardly the hub is slid upwardly along the hollow shaft A.

The cords E, E are secured together at several different points, by binding pieces as shown at is, k, &c., for the purpose of supporting the hub F at several diderent heights along the shaft A.' These binding pieces 70, k are preferably screws which are screwed through one of the cords and into the other, thereby holding them snugly together.

The means I have shown for holding the arms at different heights consist of a two armed lever L, pivoted to the hollow knob O in such a position that one arm of the lever extends between the cords E, E and across the opening in the knob O and is adapted to engage the binding pieces 70, k, &c. The 1ever L is yieldingly held in position by means of a spring Z secured to the opposite arm of the lever from the one just described and presses against the knob O.

For the purpose of holding the hub F against rotation when the arms are in their folded adjustment and the hub is in its lowermost position, I secure a spring j to the nut J, which spring engages an opening 0 in the knob O.

For holding the arms G in their vertical or folded adjustment, I secure a circular disk or plate M to the hollow tube B, just over the cord pulleys b,b This plate M is provided with semi-circular recesses m one foreach of the arms G. Corresponding with each of these semi-circular openings m, I secure spring clasps N which are adapted to yieldingly hold the arms G in their closed position within the recesses m. The plate M is preferably located in close proximity to the upper portions of the pulleys b, b so as to prevent the cords E, E from slipping off the said pulleys as the hub F is rotated around the hollow shaft A.

Proceeding to describe the operation of my device, supposing the same to be in its folded position and secured to the screw bolt D, the arms G are released from their notches N and allowed to fall to a horizontal position. The clothes to be dried may then be hung upon the arms and, if it is desired to raise them to a greater or less degree so as to get them out of the way, the handle K is drawn downwardly until the catch lever L engages the binding piece upon the cords E, E which is-dcsired.

It will be seen that, except when the spring j is in engagement with the knob O, the arms may be rotated around the hollow shaft A, thereby bringing any particular arm toward the person.

It is obvious that slight changes in the form and arrangement of the several parts herein described might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth, but

What I claim is 1. in combination, a hollow shaft, means for supporting it,a clothes supporting device sliding on the shaft, adjusting cords secured to the device and extending upwardly and then downwardly Within the shaft, binding pieces on the cords, and a locking device on the shaft in position to engage the binding pieces for adjusting the clothes supporting device at different heights along the shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a supporting device, ofa shaft, means for securing the shaft to the supporting device against rotation, a knob secured to the lower end of the shaft said knob having an opening therein, a clothes supporting device sliding upon the shaft, and a spring catch on the clothes supporting device adapted to enter the opening in the knob for locking the said clothes supporting device against rotation when in its lowermost position, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, a hollow shaft, means for supporting the shaft at its upper end, a hollow knob secured to the shaft at its lower end, a clothes supporting device sliding on the shaft, cords secured to the clothes supporting device and extending upwardly then downwardly through the hollow shaft and knob, binding pieces upon the cords, and a spring actuated locking lever secured to the hollow knob in position to engage the bind ing pieces as the cords are raised and lowered, thereby locking the clothes supporting device atdifferent heights, substantially as set forth.

THEODORE W. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, GEORGE BARRY. 

